Beef from Pasture to Plate
Do you ever wonder Where your Cheeseburger came from? Do you ever wonder how your cheeseburger got on your plate? Did your Mom or Dad make it? Did you get it from a restaurant? Where did they get the ingredients from? And how did the ingredients get to the store? These are all good questions that you should ask to learn more about where your food comes from. Today we are going to talk about how our hamburgers get to our dinner table and where they come from. It all starts with Beef Cattle. Lets look a little at the History of Beef Cattle. 2
Beef- A Long History The earliest introduction of beef cattle to the country was in the 1500 s via Mexico. These cattle came north to what is now the southern United States, and some of their relatives are still around today! Beef were domesticated around 8,000 years ago. But that was a long time before they made it to the United states. The first cattle into the US were from Mexico in the 1500 s. They came into the southern part of the country. The first established heard was in Virginia around 1620. 3
Beef Glossary What is a Cow? An individual female bovine animal that has produced a calf Heifer? A young female bovine that has not produced its first calf Bull? Bovine male that is physically mature Steer? Bovine male that cannot reproduce Calf? A physically immature bovine animal First, some basics. We recognize that our lingo may be confusing aren t these all words for the same animal? Well yes and no. In the industry a cow means. Note Pictures match the definition and move clockwise in direction 4
Cattle vs. Cows Cattle Group of bovine animals Cow Female bovine Calf Baby bovine Bull Male bovine It is important to define the differences between the types of cattle, or bovines. (Bovine is a fancy word for any type of cattle). Cows are mother cattle, calves are babies and bulls are the males. All together, cows, calves and bulls are called cattle. 5
Dairy vs. Beef Cattle Dairy cow= milk Beef cow= meat In Idaho, there are many beef and dairy cattle. In fact, selling cattle contributes more money to Idaho s economy than any other industry. Beef cattle are raised to be processed into beef and a variety of by products, but dairy cattle are raised to produce milk. This presentation will focus on beef cattle. Most dairy cattle in Idaho are black and white Holsteins, while most beef cattle are Angus. 6
Cattle Breeds There are lots of different kinds of Cattle Some are Dairy types and others are Beef types They are called Breeds Different Breeds have different traits which determine if they are Beef or Dairy Cattle. Some cattle have better traits to produce milk, while others are better developed for meat production. The Breeds here are(top to Bottom): Beef Breeds: Limousine, Angus, Herford, Charolais. Dairy Breeds: Holstein, and Jersey 7
Cattle are... Solar Powered 4 wheel drive Forage Bio Digesters! That means, cattle graze on grasses and rangelands plants and use the energy from them! Cattle eat the grass that is grown by the sun to power themselves. They use the energy to make muscle which is what makes up Beef! 8
How Cows Work Beef comes from amazing animals cattle Cattle eat grass and turn it into highly nutritious beef, which people enjoy Cow is a ruminant Stomach has four chambers Ferment grass, which is mostly cellulose, and turn it into protein and fat Beef is the muscle that s produced from the process Just how do Cattle turn grass and other forage into meat? Well they are special animals that are called Ruminants. This means that their stomach is specially designed with 4 different parts. The different compartments help digest the lignin & cellulose that make up the plants they eat. Cattle are able to convert the energy in a way that we as humans could not do. 9
Today there are almost 100 million beef animals and 800,000 beef cattle producers in the U.S. Most of the cattle operations are family owned.
Cattle Industry in Idaho There are: 2.11 Million Cattle in Idaho 529,366 dairy cows 7,700 beef farming & ranching families 77% raise 500 or more cattle! 800 dairy farms In Idaho alone there are more cattle than people! We have 2.11 Million cattle here in our state. They are taken care of by almost 8,000 different farm and ranching families. Many of the cattle here are Dairy Cows on Idaho s 800 Dairy Farms. 11
The Beef Supply Chain Cow/Calf Seed Stock Stocker Feedlot Packer Processor Retailer Foodservice Consumer 800,000 2,70 0 85% 35 95 % 280,000,00 0 The process from Pasture to plate involves a number of different sectors of the industry, all of which work together to ensure that the end product is safe and that animals are handled humanely. The supply chain of beef starts with Ranchers and through stockers, feedlot owners, packers, wholesale, and retailers we finally get the finished product. It all starts with the Farmer/Ranchers so lets learn about them first. 12
Ranchers, Farmers & Cowboys Caretakers of cattle Just like children rely on their parents for things such as a home, food and clothes, cattle are dependent on caretakers for their well being. These caretakers are popularly referred to as Ranchers, Farmers, or Cowboys. How many students have pets? Well, cowboys and their families care just as much about their animals and land as you do about your favorite family pet. Since there are a lot of cows in herd, these people have to work really hard to take care of them all. Ranchers & Farmers take care of cattle by feeding them hay in the winter (when the snow hides grass), doctoring them when they are sick, and making sure that they have plenty of good food and water. Ranchers also care about the land that they keep their cattle on by managing it to reduce soil erosion, minimize bad plants called noxious weeds, and control the amounts of wild animals that are on it. It s important to remember that just like everyone in this class, Ranchers, Farmers, & Cowboys people that care for cattlecome in all shapes and sizes. 13
The Ranch Home of beef cattle Provides food, space and water Allows ranchers to take care of cattle A ranch is a farm that raises beef cattle. There are usually horses that help move the cattle where they need to go and green pastures for the cattle to live in and eat. 14
Stewards of the Land Ranchers depend on healthy, natural resources for their livelihood and therefore place high value on stewardship of the land. For America s beef producers the land is their livelihood. Good management of natural resources on farms and ranches across the country protects the futures of the families for generations to come. Beef producers are conservationists. The traditions of caring for animals and the land are handed down n as well. 15
Cattle Enhance the Environment Grazing animals on land unsuitable for crop production more than doubles the land area that can be used to produce food in this country. Cattle grazing minimizes the invasion of non native plant species and to minimize the risk of wildfires by decreasing the amount of flammable material on the land. Cattle are nature s own recycling machines. They convert sunlight, water, and grass into human food. 43% of the total U.S. land mass is essentially used to grow grass and other vegetation. Cattle graze on grasslands and turn the grass into healthful, delicious beef. 16
Cattle Care Ranchers are in the business of caring for cattle. From assisting with calving at midnight to checking on grazing cattle at the crack of dawn, proper animal care is essential to the livelihood of the producer.
Safe Beef Starts with Healthy Cattle Treating sick cattle is a science that beef producers take seriously. Producers work closely with veterinarians to promptly detect and treat animals with the type of and amount of medication. Overusing antibiotics doesn t benefit cattle health and doesn t make good business sense. Producers and veterinarians take great care to provide the most efficient treatment for returning an animal to good health. Just like seeing the doctor when you are sick, Beef Producers make sure that sick animals get better as fast as they can. Animal doctors, veterinarians help make sure that proper dosages and medicines are given. 18
Out to Pasture Cattle live the majority of their lives in pastures. Many of the cattle used for beef will be taken out of the pasture when they are 12 to 18 months old. Some producers keep their cattle on the range to produce grass finished beef.
Animal Marketing When cattle are ready for market they are sold through a livestock auction market, which transfers ownership to the next level in the production chain. There are 815 fixed auction facilities in the U.S. From the market the cattle are then fed according to the desired finished product. Some will go to feedlots, while others will be put out to pasture.
Feedlots At 12 18 months of age cattle are taken to a feedlot. The cattle are carefully unloaded and led through processing where they are tagged, vaccinated and entered into the operation s record keeping system. Feedlots across this country provide a safe and productive environment for America s beef producers to care for their cattle. This system also delivers safe and wholesome beef with the unique combination of being good for you and tasting good! 21
Life in the Feedlot Cattle are in pens of 100 animals and have about 125 to 250 square feet of room per animal Spend four to six months in the feedlot Fed a scientifically formulated ration averaging 70 percent to 90 percent grain, and have constant access to water Water and air quality are monitored and managed in feedlots daily Feedlots have to ensure they are in compliance with strict EPA regulations Although cattle stay at the feedlot for a relatively short period of time, this is an important stage in beef production that helps produce the great tasting beef Americans love. Some key points to make here included that feedlot managers are very engaged in making sure each and every animal is healthy, content and eating well. It isn t just the right thing to do, it s good business. For many feedlot operators, raising cattle is afamily tradition passed down through generations. Feedlots vary in size and, though some are large, most U.S. cattle feeding operations are small, with fewer than 1,000 head of cattle in the facility at one time. 22
Feedlot Health and Tracking Sick cattle may be given antibiotics and moved into a separate hospital pen away from their herdmates for treatment This prevents the spread of illness and allows feedlot operators to closely monitor the animal s health Cattle do not enter the food supply until antibiotics have left their system Animals get sick like humans do so beef producers use antibiotics to treat, control, and prevent disease in cattle. The products are approved by the FDA for use in animal agriculture. They are used in conjunction with guidelines to reduce the risk of development of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Cattlemen work hard to keep their animals healthy in order to produce safe beef products. Careful and judicious use of animal antibiotics is one way America s beef producers help an animal regain or maintain excellent health while producing safe, wholesome and nutritious beef. If cattle do get sick, it is important to work with the veterinarian to make sure cattle are correctly diagnosed and given the correct antibiotic. 23
Beef Packing Process After cattle have been fed they are then sold to a meat packing plant when they are 18 to 22 months old and weigh between 1,000 to 1,250 pounds.
Supermarkets and Restaurants Beef is Shipped to lots of different places so you can buy it! Grocery Stores Quick Service Restaurants Restaurants After Cattle are processed the beef is transported to wholesale outlets who then distribute the Beef to Supermarkets and Restaurants. Retailers and restaurants take the final steps to ensure the safety and quality of beef for their customers. Beef producers are proud to provide a wide variety of beef choices to meet the changing lifestyles and nutritional needs of consumers. 25
All Beef Is... So what about labeling? Is there really a difference? Remember that all beef is 26
Beef Can Be... At the grocery store there are different labels on the Beef. What do they mean? 27
Nutritious Beef A 3 ounce serving of lean beef contributes less than 10 percent of calories to a 2,000 calorie daily diet, yet it s an excellent source of protein, zinc, vitamin B 12, selenium and phosphorus; and is a good source of niacin, vitamin B 6, iron, and riboflavin. 28
Working Together By working together the cattle farmers, ranchers, consumers, and government agencies have helped make our beef supply the safest in the world! 29
From Pasture to Plate: The Legacy Continues Kids on today s farms and ranches hope someday to continue the great legacy of producing high quality beef, just like the generations before them. By protecting their land and the health of their animals, the food growing families of today will be able to continue this American tradition.
It is more than just a job for beef producers, it s s a way of life. 31
Brought to you by the Idaho Beef Council
Additional Resources & Lesson Suggestions Upper Elementary: Have a local Farmer/Rancher who raises cattle come and speak to the class Talk about the process that was discussed. Ask for feedback on what new things students learned Write a 1 page paper about what they learned. Have students incorporate their own experiences with what they know and have learned about the cattle production process. 33